What is rent control and could it be coming to Bristol?

Bristol City Council is asking people for their views on bringing rent control in to the city.

The council isn't currently able to bring in measures to cap what landlords can charge, but is calling on the government to change the law.

Average rent for private tenants continues to rise, and with many being priced out of the market, the Bristol Living Rent City Commission is investigating the situation including student housing.

• What is 'rent control'?

According to the council, "rent control can be used to mean any policy that applies legal regulations to influence private rents". The aim is to improve the affordability of private renting.

But there are lots of different ways to do this - some rent control policies might try to stop rents rising too fast, while others might try to fix rent levels where they are and then reduce them over time.

There are lots of possible forms rent control could take in Bristol, including capping the amount landlords could charge across the whole city or in specific areas.

It would also need to be decided whether landlords could bring in one-off increases if they make improvements to their property.

The council says the survey is just a first step which "asks about broad principles".

The survey closes on Thursday 29 December 2022. You can complete it on the council's website.

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